Where can I follow the US political shows outside the US?

PBS: PBS is a US public TV channel that broadcasts the debates along with all general Networks. The debates are also streamed on the PBS website.

You may also want to type in "CNN Live" ou "Fox News Live stream" in the Youtube search bar

Streaming CBS is more complicated but can still be done via streaming sites which may contain click-away ads. Here's a link to stream CBS outside the US with a reasonable amount of click-away ads. If you're located outside the US, you might need to change the search language in the settings of your browser.

What is early voting?

scrutin ou vote anticipé

Early voting is voting that takes place before the actual election day. It is meant to reduce the lines in the voting polls on election day. Early voting may occur via mail. It can also entail setting up early voting polls.

Remember electoral rules are local rules (not federal), meaning the rules that apply to the organisation of election are determined at the local state level. This is why the election process varies from one state to another.

In this video, Seth Meyers talks about the consequences of early voting funding cut backs in certain states.

What's a "Zinger"?

Pique, buzz, petite phrase

Political commentators often say they expect candidates to throw some Zingers during a debate. What do they mean? Is a zinger different than a Buzz?

A zinger is catchy phrase, a witted comment usually picked up by the media.

Ex: The candidate couldn't help getting off a zinger or two about his opponent.Ex: Hillary delivered the best zinger of the first debate in response to criticism from Trump for staying off the campaign trail recently.Ex: « Yes, I did prepare for the debate. And you know what else I prepared for, to be president, and that’s a good thing: »

It comes from the word Zing which has the following meaning:1. vitality, animation, or zest.2. a sharp singing or whining noise (the sound of fired bullet)

What does the Acronym GOP stand for?

GOP is the acronym (the initials) for the Grand Old Party, which is the other name of the Republican Party.

What are factcheckers?

Analyste de véracité

Facts are events, data, statements, affirmations that are accurate and that can be verified as such by reliable sources. (antonym: untruth).

"To check" means to verify. A debate occurs live. During the time of the debate, candidates may make statements that are not supported by facts.

Fact-checkers are those who see to it that candidate or surrogate statements' are supported by facts. Some also provide accuracy ratings for candidates.

Many statements (affirmations) are made by candidates during a campaign. Some may be true, others may be false. Over the course of the 2016 US election process, some have questioned both HRC and Trump’s trustworthiness.

Critics also pointed out the lack of adequate response from journalists when confronted to discrepancies or untruths. Should they pick up on what they think may be an exaggeration or unsubstantiated remarks at the risk of appearing to endorse a candidate over another? Or should they merely ask questions and let the public/viewers decide whether the answer is truthful for themselves, at the risk of raising questions as to their skills?

During primary and presidential debates the impartiality of the moderators has been questioned. At the same time, campaign aids as well as neutral commentators have started analyzing statements and some have formulated the wish for a allowing moderators to act as fact-checkers during the debates.

What are spinners?

Interprètes de la parole électorale

Spinners are campaign aids in charge of interpreting to the press the comments made by candidates and turn (spin) them in a positive or appealing way.

All lot of statements are being made during a campaign and spinners are in charge of elaborating on each comment picked up by the media.

What are campaign surrogates?

Porte-parole d'un candidat

There are so many media venues available for candidates to appear in that it is virtually impossible for them to participate in each and everyone of them at the same time (ubiquity). To ensure that their message is conveyed in the widest range of media, candidates entrust third parties with the task of speaking on their behalf.

The campaign surrogate appears at public events that the candidate cannot make it to. He/she may be a spouse, a family member or simply a person with a particular influence over a demographic (millennials, seniors, baby boomers) or a minority (women, veterans, etc..). The President of the United States may also act as a campaign surrogate.

While not technically on the campaign trail, they volunteer to convey messages from the candidate they support to the media. They are not spoke-persons per say. Yet, like spinners they defend their candidate's point of view and provide their opinion as to the interpretation made by others of their candidate's statements.

A surrogate is a replacement, a substitute to something or someone who will act on a temporary basis in the name or in the capacity of the original. A surrogate mother is a person who accepts to carry a child for another woman. (Synonym: Proxy).

What does the term "Millennials" mean?

Les jeunes

The term "Millennials" is used to refer to a demographic group or cohort that follows the Generation X group. Generation X is the demographic cohort following the baby boomers. Accordingly, Millennials designate the younger voters (age from 20 to 35) and historically the group that has the lowest turnout rates on election day.